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Development Permit System (DPS)

Ontario Regulation 608/06came into effect January 1, 2007, enabling all local municipalities to use the Development Permit System (DPS). The regulation is part of the government’s commitment to make Ontario’s land use planning system more effective. The DPS assists municipalities in meeting today’s planning challenges.

The DPS is a land use planning tool which helps to promote development, enhance environmental protection and facilitate key priorities of Ontarians such as community building, brownfield redevelopment, greenspace preservation and environmental protection. The DPS combines the zoning, site plan and minor variance processes into one application and approval process.

The DPS benefits not only municipalities and the community, but also individual land owners by providing a similar level of certainty as exists in zoning while also providing the added benefits of streamlining, flexibility and the convenience of a one-stop source for planning approvals.